Free Web NovelChapter 143: Chapter 120: Eldest Female Cousin Ruined My Good Thing
Li Zhi was squatting, struggling to catch her breath.
Sweat beaded on her forehead and neck. Her damp ponytail clung to her skin, quivering with each rapid breath.
Shen Yuan suddenly leaned in close, the scent of citrus mingling with the warm vapor from her sweat washing over him.
At this distance, Shen Yuan could see a bead of sweat snake its way down her neck, trickling toward the hollow of her collarbone.
"Getting a little weak there, Young Master Li."
He deliberately drew out his words, his fingertip poking her trembling shoulder.
Her clothes were soaked through with sweat, and even through the thin fabric, he could feel the heat radiating from her skin.
Li Zhi glared up at Shen Yuan. Tiny beads of sweat clinging to her eyelashes caught the light, sparkling like crushed diamonds.
Before she could speak, a drop of sweat fell with a SPLAT onto the strings of the racket Shen Yuan was waving in front of her face.
"I haven’t been working out enough. I can’t beat you anymore." freēwebnovel.com
Hearing this, Shen Yuan immediately waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, come on, Young Master Li, what are you talking about? It’s just a game of badminton. It’s over. Let’s move on."
Li Zhi’s annoyance intensified at his words. She couldn’t stop herself from giving him a massive eye-roll, overcome with the urge to punch him.
"You definitely noticed I was running out of steam!" Li Zhi said irritably.
Shen Yuan grinned, nodding without hesitation. "Yup, I noticed. The power behind your smashes kept getting weaker, so I knew you were tired."
Li Zhi rolled her eyes, her fingers suddenly clamping around the wrist Shen Yuan was about to pull back.
Her sweaty palm pressed against his fever-hot skin, glistening under the gymnasium’s overhead lights.
"You definitely felt my smashes getting weaker," Li Zhi panted, poking his chest with the handle of her racket. Drops of sweat flew from the ends of her hair, blooming into dark circles on his school uniform.
She complained prettily, "Couldn’t you have just gone easy on me?"
Shen Yuan grabbed the racket handle pressed against his chest, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he laughed.
Shen Yuan slowly leaned down, closing the distance to Li Zhi. The citrus scent of her shampoo mingled with the pheromones of her post-workout exertion, creating a unique fragrance.
A few crystalline beads of Li Zhi’s sweat still clung to the racket’s strings, a testament to their fierce match.
"If I’d really gone easy on you," Shen Yuan flicked the strings, spattering droplets onto Li Zhi’s flushed cheeks, "this match would’ve been over long ago."
Nearby, He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei both gulped at his words.
’Honestly, Shen Yuan really pulls his weight sometimes.’ freewebnøvel.com
But soon, the two shippers weren’t smiling anymore.
Seeing his triumphant grin reflected in her wide, almond-shaped eyes, Shen Yuan’s expression suddenly turned serious. He held her still-trembling shoulders and said, "But in competition, there are no victories born from charity."
’What is this, some kind of sigma male declaration?!’
’We were having a perfect Sugar Text moment, don’t ruin it by going nuts!’
If He Zhiyu hadn’t been holding her back, Zhuo Peipei would have rushed over and punched Shen Yuan.
But unlike Zhuo Peipei, who was clearly incensed...
Seeing Shen Yuan looking so serious, Li Zhi let out a sudden scoff between her ragged breaths.
"Hearing you say that... yeah, that’s perfectly in character."
Li Zhi released his wrist and handed him the racket.
"Tch. And if you’d really gone easy on me, you wouldn’t have been happy about it."
"Hmph!"
The girl staggered to her feet. Her neck, glistening with sweat, was tensed in a stubborn line, yet the corners of her moist lips were quirked higher than usual.
"Zhizhi, have some water."
He Zhiyu handed over a bottle of water, but as soon as Li Zhi took it, she passed it to Shen Yuan.
"Open it."
"As you command."
As a gentleman of the modern age, Shen Yuan naturally had to take the water bottle, since the lady had clearly expressed her inability to open it herself.
The muscles of his forearm flexed into smooth lines under the overhead lights. With a sharp CRACK, the cap came loose, and a few drops of water splashed onto the floor between them.
"Sorry. Guess I don’t know my own strength."
After handing the water to Li Zhi, Shen Yuan went to gather the equipment.
’They were done playing anyway. Time to return the equipment.’
Just as Shen Yuan was about to leave, he heard Li Zhi’s voice from behind him.
"I won’t lose next time."
Young Master Li stared at Shen Yuan defiantly.
Shen Yuan nodded. "Yeah, scrubs need to practice more. That’s the only way to improve!"
"Shen Yuan!"
The word was barely out of her mouth before Shen Yuan had already taken off, disappearing in a flash.
Watching his retreating figure, Li Zhi felt a little puzzled.
’How did his stamina get so good?’
’They’d just finished playing, and he could already run and jump around.’
’Compared to him, I’ve really been neglecting my own exercise lately.’
After returning the equipment, Shen Yuan made a quick stop at the restroom.
When Shen Yuan returned to the gymnasium, Li Zhi was walking around, cooling down.
Watching her figure, Shen Yuan’s lips curled.
’Damn, I never noticed before,’ he thought. ’When did this damn girl get so... developed?’
The truth was, Shen Yuan *had* gone easy on her. Throughout the match, he’d found it impossible to focus solely on the game.
’All that bouncing and jumping... who could possibly concentrate?!’
’If it weren’t for that, there’s no way the score would’ve reached a ten-ten tie. The match would’ve been over ages ago!’
"Want me to grab lunch? If so, you should head back and get some rest." Shen Yuan’s voice suddenly sounded from beside her. Li Zhi looked up at him and slowly shook her head.
"I’m tired, not crippled," Li Zhi said irritably, seemingly unappreciative of his concern.
